Border crossing update and experience (Split)

[MA1793 28]

Just an update on my journey. I crossed the border with my car, belongings, and pets on Oct 15, at the Alcan crossing (Alaska). A few things to note:

• If anyone is activating their visa there, the "immigration" agent is only there on certain days of the week so call to confirm.
• They were inexperienced with car imports and so I had to convince them my car met the standards for import. I had all the paperwork in order (form and  letter from manufacturer saying that my car met EPA and Safety standards). The issue was that there are a few things that Canadian cars are exempt from (e.g. the displays KM vs. Miles). The manufacturer wrote that those did not conform, but on the declaration form you fill out it clearly says that those are exempt. In the end they imported my car, and I was able to register my car no problem at the DMV to get plates.
• If you import pets to Alaska you are required to have updated rabies vaccination certificate and a health certificate from your vet, that then needs to be handed over to your Canadian Food Inspection Agency Veterinarian for an International Health Certificate. A regular check from the vet won't cut it because it needs to have a registered traceable number, which is only provided by CFIA. However, it's up to the discretion of the border agents whether or not your paperwork satisfies them. They didn't look at my paperwork or look at my physical pets. Very annoying with all the trouble I went through, but better safe than sorry if they wanted to be sticklers about the official paperwork.
• They didn't care about the inventory of my belongings, but I didn't bring a whole lot.

[jercanuck 11]

On 10/22/2021 at 10:42 AM, MA1793 said:

Just an update on my journey. I crossed the border with my car, belongings, and pets on Oct 15, at the Alcan crossing (Alaska). A few things to note:

• If anyone is activating their visa there, the "immigration" agent is only there on certain days of the week so call to confirm.
• They were inexperienced with car imports and so I had to convince them my car met the standards for import. I had all the paperwork in order (form and  letter from manufacturer saying that my car met EPA and Safety standards). The issue was that there are a few things that Canadian cars are exempt from (e.g. the displays KM vs. Miles). The manufacturer wrote that those did not conform, but on the declaration form you fill out it clearly says that those are exempt. In the end they imported my car, and I was able to register my car no problem at the DMV to get plates.
• If you import pets to Alaska you are required to have updated rabies vaccination certificate and a health certificate from your vet, that then needs to be handed over to your Canadian Food Inspection Agency Veterinarian for an International Health Certificate. A regular check from the vet won't cut it because it needs to have a registered traceable number, which is only provided by CFIA. However, it's up to the discretion of the border agents whether or not your paperwork satisfies them. They didn't look at my paperwork or look at my physical pets. Very annoying with all the trouble I went through, but better safe than sorry if they wanted to be sticklers about the official paperwork.
• They didn't care about the inventory of my belongings, but I didn't bring a whole lot.

Did you have any info about the Tire pressure monitor system?   That is the item I believe is keeping me from importing my Rav4.  

 

Thanks for the update.

[MA1793 28]

On 10/25/2021 at 7:28 AM, jercanuck said:

Did you have any info about the Tire pressure monitor system?   That is the item I believe is keeping me from importing my Rav4.  

 

Thanks for the update.

For whatever reason, the manufacturer did not identify this as an issue for me. I would recommend contacting the manufacturer first and they will officially identify any "repairs" you will need. Honda even provided me with instructions on exactly what I needed in terms of paperwork.

I spoke to another forum member about the TPMS and she bought one off Amazon. Then she took it to a certified mechanic to install. You need to do that so you have official paperwork. You can ask them to print up an official repair order that clearly states they installed/inspected the TPMS and that it is functioning according to standards.

[Ontarkie 14,225]

~~One post with border update and related replies split to their own thread. It helps members find updates easier.~~